Mineral washer and separator.



C. 0. MICHAELSEN- MINERAL WASHER AND SEPARATOB.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 5,1915.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

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MLNEBAL WASHER AND SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 611915- Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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c. 0. MICHAELSEN.

MlNlERAL WASHER AND SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.1915. .LMWYW. Patented Nov 27, 1917.

4 SHEEIS-SHEET 3.

C. 0. MICHAELSEN.

MINERAL WASHER AND SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6.1915- 1 247 702... Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

4 4 )gmnmmunmunnw %TATE% PATENT CHARLES O. MICHAELSEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO MINNIE E. MICHAELSEN, F MXNNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MINERAL TAM-IE3 AND SEPARATOR.

Application filed July 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES O. MIOHAEL- snn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improveforth, adapted to handle economically large quantities of the material, and being capable, by minor adjustments thereof, of either separating the slimes from granular constituents of the material, or, when the slimes have been eliminated, of separating the valuable granular constituents from the waste material. Minor objects of my invention are the provision of suitable means for feeding and distributing the material, for agitating the same, for varying and regulating the agitating means, for regulating the discharge of the material so that the same may be removed either constantly or intermittently, and means for supplying water at particular points to facilitate the separation and discharge of the solid materials.

7 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying my invention, the plane of section being offset on the line aa of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical section showing certain of the parts on a larger scale than in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail side view of one of the variable crank-pin mountings, Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line at -m of Fig. at, Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectionthrough one of thecentering-rollers for the oscillating pan, Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal section of a partof one of the connecting-r0 -s, Fig. 8 is. a detail horizontal section on the line y of Fig. 3, Fig. 9 isa detail horizontal section on the line e-a of Fig. 3, and Fig. 10 is a transverse section of the upper cross-beam, showing one of the bearings for the cross-shaft.

- In the illustrated embodiment. of my invention I provide a main frame which is Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191%.

Serial No. 38,353.

constructed of rolled-steel members suitably secured together. The lower portion of the frame is rectangular in form and comprises lower horizontal members 1, upper horizontal members 2 and 3, vertical cornermembers or legs l connecting the upper and lower horizontal members, and diagonal braces 5 and 6. The members 1, 2, 3 and 4e are made of anglebars, and at one side of the frame the members 2 are extended out laterally beyond the legs, being braced by the bars 6. On the upper side of the members 2 and 3 a ring? is secured, being disposed symmetrically thereon as shown in Fig. 2. The ring 7 has at its lower edge an inwardly-extending horizontal flange which forms a track for the rollers that support the oscillating pan, and in consequence thereof said ring will be herein designated as the traclcring. On the vertical flange of the track-ring are secured a number of brackets 8 having inwardly-extending flanges slotted radially to receive the bolts for the pancentering rollers hereinafter described. At the sides of the track-ring adjacent to the frame-members 2 are secured brackets 9 which support a cross-beam 10, said beam extending across transversely above the track-ring and parallel with the frame-members 3. Studs 11 are employed to secure the crossbeam to said brackets 9, and said'studs are extended above the beam, the upper ends thereof being threaded and provided with pairs of nuts 12 between which are clamped bearing boxes 13, as shown in Fig. 10. In said boxes 13 is journaled the cross-shaft 14 which extends above the cross-beam and parallel therewith.

On the laterally projecting portions of the frame-members 2 are mounted bearings 15 for the main driving-shaft 16 which carries on the central part thereof a drivingpulley 17. On the ends of the shaft 16 outside the bearings 15 are mounted fly-wheels 18 which have on the outer sides thereof large hubs 19 which protrude beyond the ends of the shaft as shown in Fig. 5. The ends of the protruding hubs have annular shoulders formed thereon, and on said shoulders are placed rings 20, the same being permanently on the hubs. On the ends of the hubs, adjoining said rings, are secured circular plates 21 and 22, the latter of said plates being provided with peripheral teeth forming a sprocket-wheel from which a chain 23 extends to a sprocket-wheel 24:

mounted-on one end of the cross-shaft Ll,

whereby the cross-shaft is driven from the main-shaft 16. In the ends of the hubs 19, adjoining the plates 21 and 22 and coextensive axially with the rings 20, are formed. rectangular channels in which are slidably disposed the crank-blocks25. Said blocks carry crank-pins 26 which extend out through slots in the plates 21- and 22, and at their outer ends have spherical heads 27 termed thereon. T he crank-blocks are held at adjusted positions in the channels by means of adjusting-screws 28 which passthrough the ringsQO and engage the ends of the blocks, the slots in the plates 21 and 22 being paralleliwith the channels so that the crank-pins maybe adjusted radially of the shaft-axis to vary the eccentricity thereof to said axis. The crank-pins are arranged on opposite sides of the shaft-axis, so that thehorizontal components of their movement will be opposite in direction, and from the crank-pins suitable connections are provided, as hereinafter described, which extend to opposite sides of the oscillating pan and impart movement thereto.

The uppermost part of the oscillating pan is a substantially cylindrical rim 30 which at its lower edge merges into a rounded or U-shaped annular trough 31. The inner side of the annular trough has a uniform upward slope to a circular crest 32 which is the margin or periphery of an inwardly and downwardly sloping annular conical portion 33, the latter forming the main body of the pan. The inner edge of the annular conical portion 33 merges into the cylindrical rim 3% of a central bowl85 of which thebottom slopes inwardly and downwardly at the same incline as the main body-portion 38. At the 7 central and lowermost part of the bowl 35 is a circular opening, and all the described portions of the pan are concentric about a vertical axis passing through the center of said openin Ribs 36, integral with the body of the pan, are formed on the lower side of the main conical portion, extending radially from the central part and terminating in lugs or bosses 37 beneath the annular trough and near the lower edge of the rim 30. In said bosses are secured the inner ends of radial studs 88, and on the protrudlea-7,702

screwed onto the upper ends of the bolts. The slotting of the brackets enables the rollers to be adjusted radially of the pan to ceiveris secured an annular plate 45 having r at its inner edge Between said plate and the body of the receiver is an annular gasket 47 of pliable material, of which the inner edge is inclined downwardly over the beveled inner edgeof the plate so as to form in effect, a continuation of the inclined inner wall-surface ol the receiver.

At the bettom oi the irame, extending transversely between the members 1, is a pair of small anglebars 4l8 of which the cen-' tral parts are below the receiver. The discha1 ge-pipe -19 is clamped between said bars by bolts 50 and extends up through the central openings of the receiver and bowl 35, concentrically therewith but in spaced relation to the edges or the openings, Thein' termediate portion of the pipe 49 is threaded and on said threaded portion is screwed the annular valve-body 51. The valve-body comprises a lower cylindrical neck-portion which extends through the central opening of the plate to in spaced relation to the edges thereof, and an upperconical portion disposed within the receiver and adapted to seat against the inner edge of thegasket 47 to close the annular opening between the pipe 49 and the bottom of the receiver. At one side oi the neck-portion of the valvebody a rod 52 is screwed into the same, and at the inner end of said rod is a'plug 53 depending lip or flange 46.

of soft metal, so that by screwing the rod inwardly the plug may be pressed into engagement with the threads on the pipe'to retainthe valve-body in adjusted positions thereon.

The upper end of the pipe 4-9 extends through the opening in the bottom of the bowl 35 is spaced re'lationto a seat-ring 54 which is held in a recess madetherefor in the engaging faces of the bowl 35and the upper end of the receiver. A pipe 55, fits slidably on the portion of the pipe 4'9 above:

the seat-ring, anda packing 56 isfprovided for insuring a water-tight joint between the pipes. For holding the packing material there is a sleeve 57 which is screwed into the threaded upper end of the pipe 49, the upper" part of the sleeve fitting the bore ferential relation to each other, by means of of the pipe55. its inner edges being beveled oil, and there being notches therein, as shown, for engagement with a suitable wrench whereby the sleeve may be screwed down to compress the packing which is placed in the annular space above the end of the pipe 4:9 between the sleeve and the pipe 55. On the lower end of the pipe is a renewable wearing-ring 58 which is adapted to engage the seat-ring 5% to stop off the annular opening around the pipe 49. The rings 5% and 58 are preferably made of a hard non-corrosive material, such as Monel metal. In the sides oi the pipe 55 above the packin -sleeve 57 there are formed a number of vertical slots or ports 59 of which the lower ends are at about the level of the upper edge of the rim 3% of the bowl 135. A cylindrical sleeve 60 fits around the pipe adjoining the lower ends of the ports, being held in position by means of a screw 61 which extends between opposite sides'of the sleeve, passing across the pipe through two of the ports 59. The sleeve stops oil the lower portions of the ports, and by varying the vertical position of the sleeve the effec tive level of the ports may be raised or lowered to change the level at which water will flow from the pan into the dischargepipe 49. At the upper end of the pipe is a cap 62, from the center of which a rod 63 extends upwardly and connects with a head 64%. Said head is rectangular in form and fits slidably around a bearing-block 65 which is mounted on the cross-shaft 14. An adjusting-screw 66 extends through a threaded opening in the upper part of the head. and on the lower end of said screw is a collar which fits revolubly in a T-slot in the upper end of the bearing-block. turning the screw 66 the relation of the head to the bearing-block may be varied and the pipe 55 thus raised or lowered, so that the relation. of thelower end of the pipe to the seat-ring 541- may be varied as desired, or the ring 58 engaged with the ring 51 to entirely stop-oft the opening around the discharge" pipe through the bottom of the bowl 3 5.

A large cylinder or pipe-section 67 is disposed around the pipe 55 in spaced relation thereto, said cylinder having ports in the sides thereof corresponding to the ports 59 in the inner pipe. At the upper end of the cylinder is a cap 68 from which a tubular shaft 69 extendsup around the rod 63 and through a sea ring 7Q arranged at the center of the cross beam 10. The upper end of the tubular shaft 69, is connected with a friction-plate 71 which is revolubly supported on conical rollers 72. the latter engaging an annular boss on the lower side of the plate, and resting on a supporting-ring 73 which is senured t0 the cross-beam. The rollers 72 are held in position radially, and are kept in proper cireunarods 74 which extend out radially from a collar 75 fitting loosely about the hub of the friction-plate, the rollers being revolubly mounted on the outer ends of the rods, as shown in Fig. 8. lhe upper surface of the friction-plate is engaged by a friction-wheel 76 which is slidably mounted on the crossshaft lat, being connected therewith by a spline 77 and held in longitudinally adjusted positions by a set-screw 78, shown in Fig. 3. By the frictional engagement of the wheel 76 with the plate 71 the latter is volved at a speed which is variable according to the adjustment of the wheel longitudinally of the shaft, and a simple and positive variable-speed drive is thus provided for the pipe-section 6?. By adjustments oi: the nuts 12 on the studs 11 the cross-shatt bearings may be raised or lowered to aline the shaft parallel with the face of the triotion-plate and insure a proper working contact between said plate and the frictionwheel. Any desired stirring or agitating devices may be connected with the rotary pipe-section 67, so as to extend out therefrom and engage the materials within the oscillating pan. In the structure shown. there are provided at the lower end of the pipe several short arms 81 which extend ad 'jacent to the bottom of the bowl. 35, as snown in Figs. 3 and 9. There are also provided. two sweep-arms 79 which are connected with the sides of the pipe below the cap 68, tending out horizontally therefrom to points near the circular crest 32 of the conical pan portion 33, thence extending ding-onall; downward adjacent to the inner wall of: the trough 81, and terminating in curved portions 80 adjacent to the bottom at the trough, as shown in Fig. l. The inclined portions of the sweep-arms pass beneath the lower edge of a ea le-ring 82 which is held concentrio with and in spaced relation to the rim 30 by means of radial studs 83 of which the inner and outer ends are connected. respectively, with said loatllering and the rim. The lower edge of the battle-ring is at a level below the crest at the inner side of the trough, so that said lower edge of the ring will be submerged when. the trough is filled with water to the level of said crest For feeding materials into the ani'inla space between the panrim 39 and the bafflering, there is provided. a teedrhuto 84- which is disposed near one corner of the machine, being supported lov standards 85 extending up from the track-ring; and the lower end of the chute extending down into the arcuate space between two of the racial studs 83, as shown in Figs. 1 and In the outer part of the bowl 35 and ting against the cylindrical rim 34 themed, an angle-ring 86 inclosing an annular channel which may be supplied rith water under pressure by means: of a lrmse or fieaihle lid tube 87 connected with the outer part of the bowl as shown in Fig. 1. Along the lower edge of the angle-ring, adjoining the bottom of the bowl, said edge has recesses or nctchesformed therein so as to provide narrow slots or openings between the ring and the bottom of the bowl, as shown in 'Fig. 8, through which the water supplied tothe annular channel may pass out into the bowl in thin sheets or streams. Near the lower end of the receiver -14, at one side thereof, there is provided a suitable connection for a flexible tube or hose 88 through which water may be supplied to the receiver-chamber. Around the pipe l9 below the receiver there is clamped a discharge-chute 89, having an inclined bottom, said chute being adapted to collect the material discharged through the annular opening at the bottom of the receiver and to direct such material toward one side of the machine, whence it may be received and conveyed farther by any suitable means.

On the sides of the pan-rim beneath the cross-beam 10 are secured the stud-blocks 90 which extend out through the space between the leg-portions of the brackets 9 which support the cross-beam. In said blocks 90 are secured the inner ends of pins or studs 91 which have spherical heads similar to the heads 27 of the crank-pins 26. On said spherical heads of the studs and crankpins are fitted boxes 92 and 93 which'form the endportions of connecting members through which the movements of the crankpins are communicated to the pan. Each of the connecting members has a short rod 9-l and a longer rod 95, the first being screwed into the neck-portion of the box 92, the

iother being screwed into the neck-portion of the box 93, and each threaded rod-portion being provided with a lock-nut 96, as shown. The short rod has at one end an upset threaded portion 97 on which is screwed a tubular sleeve 98. Said sleeve extends slidably over the adjacent end of the rod 95, and on the lnclosed end of said rod is se-v cured a collar 99. The collar fits slidably within the bore of the sleeve and is normally necting' members will occur only when they are subject to a tension greaterthan the normal compresslon of the springs. Slight ad- 'ustments in the len th of the connectin members may be made, when desired, by loosening the lock-nuts 96 and screwing the rods into or out of the neck-portions of the respective boxes. The spherical heads of the crank-pins and studs 91 permit slight horizontal oscillating movements ofthe connect- 1 ing members without causing bindingof the boxes on the pins, and the elongatlon of the connecting members permitted by-the springs 100 provides for the slight increase in the distance between the studsand cranle pins when the latter are at the upper and lower portions'of their paths of travel. The extent of the oscillatory movements imparted to the pan may be varied by changing the eccentricity of the crank-pins, the same be-. ing elfected by adjusting the crank-blocks 25 longitudinallyof the channels in the hubs 19, as before described. 7

In the operation of the described mechanism, power is supplied thereto by means of a belt applied to the drivii'ig-pulley 17. l he extent of the oscillating movement of the pan is adjusted as desired by varying the eccentricity of the cranlepins to the axis of 5. the driving-shaft, as described, andthe rate of rotation'of the arms 81 and sweep-arms 79 is regulated by adjustment of the position of the friction-wheel 76 on the cross-shaft 14. In starting the operation of the machine, the valve-body 51 is screwed down so as to close the opening through the bottom of the receiver, and the valve-pipe 55 is moved down to a position at which the lower end thereof will stop off the opening through the bottom of the bowl into the receiver. The sleeve 60 is adjusted on the pipe so that the upper end of the sleeve will be at the desired watcr 'level to be maintained in the lower part of the pan. The pulverized material, together with a suitable quantity of water, is supplied to the feed-chute 84c and is thereby directed into the annular trough 31 between the rim 30 and the baffle-ring 82, and when the trough hasbecome filled to the 1% level of the crest 32 the material flows over said crest and down theinclined annular conical surface of'the pan-body 33. ine ends of the sweep-arms 79,-and the adjoining inclined portions of the arms, moving continuously within the annular trough,- prevent the solidmaterial from settling to the bottom of the trough or clogging the an-' nular space beneath the lower edge of the baflle-ring. The material that flows over 1 the crest 32 passes inwardly over the annular conical surface in a thin sheet or stream, and

the oscillation of the pan is such thatthe material in each particular part of the strearn'is shaken horizontally during itsj gg passage down the inclined surface. The, heavierparticles offthe solid material tend tof descend to the bottom of theinwardly flowing stream, while the lighter and finely divided material is thrown into the upper portions of stream. Now," as the material approaches the central part of the panthe width of the stream, as measurable along circular lines concentric with; the bowl, is: gradually decreased, so that the depth of the 30 stream is necessarily increased, since the volume of the stream, or 1ts transverse sectional area, is substantially constant. Owing to the increased depth of the stream as it approaches the central part of the pan, the separation of the coarse and fine, or heavy and light, parts of the material may become greater the farther it flows. After the bowl 235 and the extreme lower part of the panbody 33 have become filled to the level of the upper edge of the sleeve 60, the water and the material suspended therein near the surface begin to overflow through the ports 59, thence passing down through the discharge-pipe 49. After the overflow through the ports 59 has commenced, the valve-pipe 55 is raised to permit the coarser or heavier material to pass down into the receiverchamber. The material may be permitted to accumulate for a time in the receiverchamber and be discharged therefrom intermittently by opening the valve 51, or said valve may be partially opened so as to permit a constant discharge of the material that descends into the receiver. Under some conditions it may be desirable to cause a certain accumulation of solid material in the bowl 35, by closing the valve formed by the pipe 55, and to discharge such material by intermittent opening of said valve. The arms 81, moving within the bowl, prevent the material from packing solidly therein, and the separationofthe materials within the bowl may be assisted by a flow of water supplied through the hose 87 and distributed around the periphery of the bowl through the annular passage inclosed by the ring 86. Water supplied through the hose 88 serves to flush out the receiver-chamber, and the water so supplied may be in such quantities, proportional to the opening of the lower valve 51, as to cause an upward iiow through the top of the receiver into the bowl 35.

By suitable regulation of the described mechanism, it is possible to employ the same to etlect the separation of pulverized mineral under two distinctly difierent' conditions. First, there may be effected the separation of slimes from the larger granular particles produced during pulverization, and in this case the separation is dependent mainly upon the difference in size of the particles of solid material. The very finely divided material, being more fluid, is carried along more readily by the flow of water and may even tend to float on the surface of the stream, thus passing off through the ports 59 and pipe as, while the larger particles of material will pass down into the lower part of the bowl 35, and into the receiver-chamber, being thence discharged into the chute 89. In the second case the machine is used for material that does not form Slll es, or from which the slimes have been previously eliminated, and in this instance the sepalamration is eii'ected principally by the diffen once in specific gravity of the particles, the lighter and usually valueless in; "cl passing off through the ports aue. pipe l9, while the heavier and valuable material, or eoncem'irates, p down into the receiver.

New, having d ibcd my invention, what I claim and dr e to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the cl deszrcribcd, a horizontally disposed pan comprising an annular trough having a substantially cylindrical outer rim, and a relatively flat conical body-portion sloping inwardly and downwardly from the inner margin of the annular trough, said inner margin of the trough being lower thanthe outer rim whereby fluid materials placed in the trough will fill the same to the level of said margin and then flow inwardly over said margin and down the sloping body-per ion toward the center of the pan, a continuous battlering arranged to dip within the annular trough and extend below the level of the inner margin thereof, means for feeding materials into the trouglnoutside the battlering, whereby said materials must pass beneath said ring in flowing to the inner margin of the trough, means for agitating materials within the pan, means forming an annular discharge opening at the central lowermost portion of the pan, and means forming a discharge passage at the center of the pan and opening thereto at a higher level than that of the first-named discharge openin 2. in a machine of the class described, a horizontally disposed pan mounted to oscillate about a vertical axis, said. pan having an annular conical concave portion, an axial opening tl'irough the bottom thereof, and an annular trough surrounding said conical portion, a tubular rotary member disposed axially of the pan, cross-shaft extending transversely above the pan, driving connections between said cross-shaft and tubular member, sweep-arms connected with said member and having portions movable in. the annular trough, means for feeding materials into the trough so that the same will flow therefrom inwardly over the surface of the conical portion, a dischargopipe extending through the bottom-opening of the pan in spaced relation to the edges of said opening,

a valve-pipe fitting slidably around said discharge-pipe and adapted to stop-off the opening around said pipe through the bottom of the pan, means extending up from said valve-pipe through the tubular member and connecting witn the cross-shaft to support the pipe therefrom, and means for varying the relation of said connecting means and the cross-shaft to raise and lower the valve-pipe and vary the size of the opening around the discharge-pipe.

concentrically therewith so as to dip into said annular trough to a level below the inner margin thereof, and means for feeding materials into the trough between the outer rim and the bathe-ring, whereby said 3. In a machine of the class described, a

pan mounted to oscillate about a vertical axis, said pan having an annular conical por tion, an annular trough encircling said coni- 5 cal portion and adapted to overflow uniformlyv onto the upper peripheral part thereof, and an outer rim extending above the level of the inner margin of the trough,

a continuous bafi'le-ring supported from the 10 upper part of the outer rim and disposed edge of the ring before flowing onto the conical pan-portion.

CHAS. o. MICHAELSEN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. C.

'15 materials pass beneath the submerged lower f 

